| Origins | Northeast India, Indonesia, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Malaysia. |
|---|---|
| Applications | The white latex of the India-rubber Tree can be made into hard gum. There used to be India-rubber Tree plantations all over the world for gum collection, but production has faded due to the poor quality of its rubber. The India-rubber Tree has a broad canopy, with bright evergreen leaves and red stipules which are sharp and eye-catching. It is fast growing, highly adaptive, tolerant to drought and shades, and can withstand air pollution. Therefore, the tree is often planted as a street tree, growing along the roads. It is also a popular horticultural greenery. |
| Meanings of name | Due to India being one of its origins and its ability to produce rubber, this fig species is called "India Fig (印度榕)" in Chinese and "India-rubber Tree" in both Chinese and English. The species epithet "elastica" in its scientific name means "elastic", referring to its latex ingredients. |
| Cultivars | There are many cultivars of the India-rubber Tree. The relatively common cultivars in Hong Kong include Black-leaved India-rubber Tree (F. elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. 'Burgundy') that have leaves ranging from purplish black to rich burgundy; Tricolor India-rubber Tree (F. elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. 'Tricolour'), with leaves that are greyish green, variegated with pink and creamy white patches; and Variegated Leaf Indian-rubber Tree (F. elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. 'Variegata'), which has leaves that are pale green with white or yellow margins. |
| Old and Valuable Tree (OVT) | An India-rubber Tree locates in Lugard Road has a Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of 5 m. The aerial roots from the crown developed into new trunks after reaching the ground, and hence the individual has overgrown across Lugard Road in an outstanding appearance. It is registered as an OVT (LCSD CW/134). For details, please visit the following website - https://ovt.greening.gov.hk/detail.aspx?id=573&m=12 |
